India / Will take decision on CM post after securing majority in WB polls: BJP leader

Kolkata: In a big development on Wednesday, BJP announced that it will not project a CM candidate for the West Bengal Assembly election due in April-May this year. This comes even as TMC is seeking re-election under the leadership of WB CM Mamata Banerjee. Speaking to the media, BJP's WB in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya revealed that the party leadership and the elected MLAs will choose the CM after getting a majority in the Assembly election. 

When WB BJP president Dilip Ghosh was recently quizzed by Republic TV on his chances of being projected as the party's CM candidate, he had replied that the high command will take an appropriate decision. Ghosh commented, "Our party has a system. The party high command will decide who would be the CM candidate. We should first win 200 seats. Then, the government will be formed. Any worker can lead the government and usher in development". 

BJP's thrust on West Bengal polls

The Mamata Banerjee-led party had swept the 2016 Assembly polls by bagging 211 seats in the 294-member Assembly. BJP is looking to make major inroads in the WB election due in April-May 2021 buoyed by its win in 18 out of 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the 2019 General Election. Both Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda have exuded confidence in the party winning more than 200 seats this time. Mamata Banerjee and BJP have been at loggerheads on multiple issues including political violence, CAA, farm laws and non-implementation of Central schemes.

However, in the last few weeks, BJP leaders have increasingly trained their guns on Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee for his alleged involvement in corruption. As he is perceived to be the no.2 in Trinamool Congress, the WB CM has been accused of encouraging dynastic politics. In the last few weeks, a number of legislators from other parties including Suvendu Adhikari, Silbhadra Dutta, Tapasi Mondal, Ashoke Dinda, Sudip Mukherjee, Saikat Panja, Dipali Biswas, Sukra Munda, Shyamapda Mukherjee, Biswajit Kundu, Banasri Maity and Arindam Bhattacharya have joined BJP. Adhikari's induction, in particular, is being perceived as a big blow to TMC as his family is believed to have an influence in at least 50 Assembly constituencies.